Why Google Should Build The Next Seaside

In 1998, I wrote my first business plan which was about technology and architecture. At the time, I had graduated from Architecture school and was working with Sprint on a data warehousing implementation. It got me thinking about how to create a series of connected devices and link them to an enterprise system to manage that data for a smart home. At the time, I think people thought I was crazy.

Jump forward 15 years and it all seems to make more sense. For example:

“The Internet of Things (or IoT for short) refers to uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual representations in an Internet-like structure. The term Internet of Things was proposed by Kevin Ashton in 2009.[1] The concept of the Internet of Things first became popular through the Auto-ID Center at MIT and related market analysis publications.[2] Radio-frequency identification (RFID) was seen as a prerequisite for the Internet of Things in the early days. If all objects and people in daily life were equipped with identifiers, they could be managed and inventoried by computers.[3][4] Besides using RFID, the tagging of things may be achieved through such technologies as near field communication, barcodes, QR codes and digital watermarking.[5][6]

Equipping all objects in the world with minuscule identifying devices or machine-readable identifiers could transform daily life.[7][8] For instance, business may no longer run out of stock or generate waste products, as involved parties would know which products are required and consumed.[8] A person’s ability to interact with objects could be altered remotely based on immediate or present needs, in accordance with existing end-user agreements.[3]

According to Gartner there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the Internet of Things by 2020.[9] According to ABI Research more than 30 billion devices will be wirelessly connected to the Internet of Things (Internet of Everything) by 2020.[10] Cisco created a dynamic “connections counter” to track the estimated number of connected things from July 2013 until July 2020 (methodology included).[11] This concept, where devices connect to the internet/web via low power radio is the most active research area in IoT.”

“More objects are becoming embedded with sensors and gaining the ability to communicate. The resulting information networks promise to create new business models, improve business processes, and reduce costs and risks.”

Of course, the key is a core infrastructure that manages all of this data and starts to create algorithms for how to use it. Image being able to log in and get information about your house, your kids, your community, and your health. Some things are already out there and being developed.

Mother is a technology that summarizes all of this data and pulls it together for people to use and monitor.

Twine monitors your home and provides you with information such as your garage door is left open.

Qualcomm and Verizon and others are getting into the health space, and you have companies like ADT or Time Warner that are already in the home and could expand into the health space.

The other thing that all this data drives is the need for insights. It’s no good to have data without the ability to turn it into knowledge. This is again something that Google knows a lot about. Imagine having a connected team of physicians that monitor your health based on your sleep patterns, your adherence, your exercise, and other key metrics such as blood pressure. Imagine a dietician that monitored your food and gave you ideas about how to eat better. There are lots of ways for the data to be used in an obviously Big Brother way, but if that could be turned on and off, then we could gain the insights without having to give up all our privacy.

But, in general, many people are willing to trade privacy for insights. That’s what we do every day.

I can see so many opportunities here especially around the concept of Aging in Place. Imagine all the Baby Boomers getting older and wanting to stay in their homes. I’m not sure what Calico is going to do, but this could be an opportunity for them.

In a recent issue of TIME, Page discussed how Calico will treat aging and related diseases. He didn’t reveal much about the methodology, but stressed that Calico’s team will “shoot for the things that are really, really important.” The goal for Calico’s research according to Page, is to help prevent many diseases and have a greater impact on public health than drugs that target individual diseases. (from MedCity News)

Imagine if this community existed. You would be able to create your own insurance company. You could offer discounts. You could do the same with life insurance. It could be like the Snapshot from Progressive.

And, there is so much more opportunity:

When you drive into your driveway, why can’t your garage door recognize you. Why do you have to press a button to open the garage?

Why can’t my purchases at the store be tracked online so I always know what I have and what I need?

Why can’t a smart cookbook recommend a recipe for tonight based on what food is at home, what food’s about to expire, and what I ate for lunch to create a balanced menu and caloric mix?

Why can’t my running shoes automatically order a new pair of shoes when the cushioning gets low due to too many miles?

One day, this will all happen where our house will be smart. It will understand what I like in terms of lighting, shows, and music. It will tap into my devices. And, I’ll be able to get monitored and insights that improve my life. And, best of all, this will be done in a sustainable way that improves the environment and our quality of life.

So…maybe I can get Google or someone else excited about this idea! It will take someone with a big vision to change the world, but I think it’s a huge opportunity!